The next is a transcript of an interview with White Home nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan airing Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: We flip now to White Home Nationwide Safety Adviser Jake Sullivan. Good morning to you, Jake. Thanks for becoming a member of us.
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JAKE SULLIVAN: Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: President Zelenskyy advised us that if this annexation occurs, it's going to make diplomatic talks with Vladimir Putin inconceivable. They want artillery in Ukraine, he says, extra air protection techniques and tanks. Will they get it? And the way vital of an escalation is that this?
SULLIVAN: Properly, Margaret, not solely will they get it, however they have been getting it. The US at this level alone has supplied greater than $15 billion in weapons, and that is included air protection techniques, a whole bunch of artillery items, a whole bunch of 1000's, if not tens of millions of rounds of artillery. And we facilitated the switch of tanks from NATO allies who've the Soviet period tanks that the Ukrainians have skilled on, we'll proceed to do all of that. As President Biden made clear on Friday, nothing that Russia has executed with this mobilization of troops, with the sham referenda within the occupied areas, goes to discourage us from offering Ukraine with the required means and applied sciences they should defend themselves. And what Putin has executed is just not precisely an indication of power or confidence, frankly, it is a signal that they are struggling badly on the Russian aspect. And we will assist the Ukrainians be capable to benefit from the positive aspects they've made, and to proceed to push again towards the Russian forces which might be brutally occupying parts of their nation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yesterday, Putin changed one of many prime logistics generals with a person who's referred to as "the Butcher of Mariupol." Are we seeing the start of the collapse of the Russian military?
SULLIVAN: I believe it is too quickly to make complete predictions like that. I believe what we're seeing are indicators of unbelievable battle among the many Russians, you have obtained low morale, the place the troopers do not wish to struggle. And who can blame them as a result of they need no a part of Putin's battle of conquest of their neighboring nation. You have obtained Russia having depleted its shops of prec- precision guided munitions. You have obtained Russia disorganized and dropping territory, to a succesful Ukrainian drive. And you have an enormous quantity of infighting among the many Russian army management, and now the blame recreation has began to incorporate these replacements. So Russia is struggling, however Russia nonetheless stays a harmful foe, and able to nice brutality, as we have seen with these mass graves outdoors of Izium. So we proceed to take that risk significantly. And we proceed to see our obligation, being offering Ukraine all that it wants to have the ability to successfully defend itself and defend its nation and defend its freedom. That is what we're intent on doing. And we're not taking our eye off the ball.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Vladimir Putin will perform this annexation of japanese Ukraine throughout the subsequent few days. If Russia is increasing its nuclear umbrella over this a part of the nation. Does that put the US in additional direct battle with Russia? And does a nuclear weapon getting used there, p-put Russia in battle immediately with the US and NATO?
SULLIVAN: We've been crystal clear as much as and together with President Biden that we are going to not acknowledge the sham referenda, they under no circumstances characterize the desire of the Ukrainian folks. And we'll deal with this territory for what it's - Ukrainian territory, not Russian territory. And we'll proceed to help the Ukrainians as they search to deoccupy this territory. So we have been clear, we're not going to cease or decelerate our help to the Ukrainians, it doesn't matter what Putin tries to do with these-these pretend elections and faux referenda and annexation. Now, in relation to the query of nuclear use, President Putin's been waving across the nuclear card at varied factors by this battle the previous few days will not be the primary time–
(CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: –However he hasn't been as cornered as he's now.
SULLIVAN: It is true, and it's a matter that we now have to take lethal significantly as a result of it's a matter of paramount seriousness – the potential use of nuclear weapons for the primary time because the Second World Struggle. We've communicated immediately, privately, at very excessive ranges to the Kremlin, that any use of nuclear weapons can be met with catastrophic penalties for Russia, that the USA in our allies will reply decisively. And we now have been clear and particular about what that can entail. We've, in public, been equally clear, as a matter of precept, that the USA will reply decisively if Russia makes use of nuclear weapons and that we are going to proceed to help Ukraine in its efforts to defend its nation and defend its democracy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Russia has been speaking about this nuclear energy plant quite than nuclear weapons only for the previous 24 hours. The place does that fall? Is that this an escalating risk?
SULLIVAN: So, to your viewers, there's a nuclear energy plant that's in Russian occupied parts of Ukraine. It has been put into chilly shutdown to make it much less possible that there is some form of catastrophic incident on the plant. It's truly nonetheless being operated by the Ukrainian operators who're basically at gunpoint from the Russian occupying forces. And the Russians have been constantly implying that there could also be some form of accident at this plant. We have been working with the Worldwide Atomic Power Company and with Ukrainian vitality regulators to attempt to make it possible for there isn't a risk posed by a meltdown or one thing else from the plant. We are going to proceed to do this, but it surely's one thing all of us must hold a detailed eye on.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Jake, you are a busy man watching the world proper now. There's lots I wish to ask you, however I've to ask you about Iran. And these protests led by girls after the dying of this 22-year-old lady who did not have her hair coated correctly within the view of the morality police. She died. How vital is that this, and is it making you reassess the give you placed on the desk to carry sanctions on Iran in regard to its nuclear program?
SULLIVAN: Properly, first, Margaret, the truth that we're in negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program is under no circumstances impacting our willingness and our vehemence in talking out about what is occurring on the streets of Iran. President Biden went to the ground of the UN Normal Meeting and stated that we stand with the courageous residents and the courageous girls of Iran as they stand for his or her rights and their dignity. We've in reality taken tangible steps to sanction these morality police -
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
(CROSSTALK)
SULLIVAN: – who induced the dying of Mahsa Amini. We have taken steps to make it simpler for Iranians to have the ability to get entry to the web and entry to communications applied sciences that can enable them to speak to 1 one other and to speak to the world. So, from our perspective, we'll do all that we are able to to help the courageous folks the courageous girls of Iran –
(CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: – I used to be asking you, although, in regards to the provide to carry sanctions off of Iran in regard to its nuclear program, as a result of that might enable for the regime to have a monetary lifeline.
SULLIVAN: Properly, I believe it is essential for everybody to grasp that on the peak of the Chilly Struggle, as Ronald Reagan was calling the Soviet Union "the evil empire" –
(CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper. Arms management.
SULLIVAN: – he was additionally negotiating an arms management with Russia. In order that's– that's what we're speaking about right here. We're speaking about diplomacy to stop Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon. If we are able to achieve that effort, and we're decided to reach that effort, the world America and our allies can be safer. And that won't cease us in any approach from pushing again and talking out on Iran's brutal repression of its residents and its girls. We will and can do each.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so I perceive the provide remains to be on the desk. Technique hasn't modified. Jake, thanks very a lot to your time. We'll be proper again with much more Face the Nation. Stick with us.